Chatham County Superior Court Judge John E. Morse Jr. read the verdicts as each defendant stood silently before the bench on the first anniversary of Giroir’s death.

Cowart, identified as the gunman who fired two, 9 mm gunshots into Giroir, 20, as the victim chased after him, was convicted on two, felony-murder charges, earning him concurrent, life prison terms.

Adams, identified in testimony as the planner of the scheme who later drove the silver Honda CV-R getaway car, was convicted on a single felony-murder charge and was sentenced to a single, life imprisonment charge.

Life in prison was mandatory for the murder convictions. Morse added five-year consecutive terms for each defendant for possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

“We will be filing a motion for new trial,” Adams’ lead attorney, Steven Sadow of Atlanta, told Morse.

Savannah attorney Greg Crawford, who represented Cowart, said after court he also planned to appeal.

Assistant District Attorney Maria Waters declined comment.

The convictions and sentences came after two weeks of trial attended by members of the victim’s family and friends and families and friends of each defendant.

As the verdicts were read, Elizabeth Giroir, mother of the victim, dabbed her eyes as friends offered silent support.

She declined to make a statement in court, but afterwards released a prepared statement in which she said, “There are no winners here.”

“Nothing could be done in these judicial proceedings that would bring back our sweet and gentle son, Sean,” she said. “We pray that no other family will have to go through the horrible loss that we, and the other victims, continue to suffer.”

Testimony showed Cowart and a second, armed bandit, Daniel Izzo, 19, forced their way into the Barnard Street address in an attempt to steal marijuana and cash from Giroir.

Michael Levi, 22, and several others in the house were held at gunpoint by Izzo as Coward and Izzo fled.

Giroir gave chase along with Levi. A third man, Miles Antle, also gave chase but was not injured.

Levi was shot and wounded as he rounded 35th at Barnard streets, but survived. Giroir was shot twice and killed by Cowart, testimony showed.

Adams, who was waiting on 35th Street in the Honda with motor running, drove the pair to the Atlanta area where all three were arrested in a room of a Comfort Inn in Sandy Springs the next day.

Izzo, who has pleaded to a reduced murder charge and related counts, testified as a state’s witness in return for a negotiated plea that removes a possible life prison term.

He initially told two Savannah-Chatham police detectives that Adams did not know about the scheme and did not participate.

But in a February statements to prosecutors – with his lawyer, Richard Darden - present - Izzo said the idea was Adams and he was involved.

Defense attorneys attacked Izzo’s credibility in an effort to diffuse his testimony.

Adams’ lawyers contended he never left the car and did not participate in any of the crimes charged.